Tabitha Powledge is an award-winning long-time science journalist, book author, and media critic. In this blog, Powledge puts a sharp eye on the content and craft of science blogging. She began On Science Blogs in 2009 on the website of the National Association of Science Writers.
Read more about Tabitha Powledge.

An anti-GMO non-profit files public records requests with four universities asking for correspondence between researchers and several chemical companies. Scientists object that the requests amount to harassment. Anna Clark writes that there is no easy answer here: "Call it the shadow side of sunlight laws. While open records requests are designed to pro […]

Joanna Penn takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the roller-coaster of her emotions as a writer. On the one hand: "I love connecting with my readers and fans. I love reading reviews and getting emails from people who enjoy my books." Then, careening to the opposite extreme: "I’m afraid of criticism. I hate the one star reviews. They make me want to […]

Tabitha M. Powledge takes a critical look at the science behind the new nutrition recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (dietary cholesterol and coffee are OK, but meat and sugar are bad): "The committee may have done its homework in the literature, but there have been serious questions about the quality of nutrition science for […]

Sarah Kaplan recaps the Toronto Star's misadventure in investigative science journalism, now retracted but still online elsewhere for now. Part of the problem, Kaplan writes, lies in the differences between science and journalism: "All reporters face dueling pressures when covering medicine and other science issues. On the one hand, they want to cr […]

By Julian Block Tuesday, April 15, is the deadline for filing Form 1040 for calendar year 2014. It can prove expensive to miss the deadline because the law authorizes the Internal Revenue Service to impose a substantial, nondeductible penalty. Generally, the penalty is five percent of the balance due (the amount that remains unpaid after subtractions for tax […]